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AUSTIN, TX – The Senate Republican Freshman Caucus, commonly referred to as the Liberty 8, issued the following joint statement in response to today’s Supreme Court ruling in King v Burwell:

“Obamacare is a disastrous, fatally flawed policy riddled with broken promises and false hope. Instead of delivering on its charge to make healthcare more affordable, premiums have skyrocketed, access to care limited, and deductibles grown so large that insured dollars have become unreachable for many families. Jobs have been killed, hours available for workers restricted, and in one stroke of the President’s pen the promise of the American dream has been pushed beyond the grasp of many striving to make a better life for their families.

Today’s contorted Supreme Court ruling attempts to throw Obamacare another lifeline but does nothing to fix the underlying problems hurting our constituents and threatening the American economy. On top of the additional costs levied on Texas families and small businesses, our state budget now includes a quarter of a billion dollar Obamacare fee impacting our ability to allocate state resources towards the priorities Texans have asked for. It is time for leaders in Washington to show some political courage and stop relying on the Courts to do their job. Today’s Court decision does nothing to weaken our resolve to repeal Obamacare and, alongside our Governor and Lieutenant Governor, we remain united against any attempt to expand, or further implement, Obamacare in Texas.”

The 2015 class of Republican Freshman Senators include Senators Paul Bettencourt, Konni Burton, Brandon Creighton, Bob Hall, Don Huffines, Lois Kolkhorst, Charles Perry, and Van Taylor. Together they represent over a quarter of the Texas Senate, with at least one of the group on every committee in the Senate. Labeled by many pundits as the most conservative class in the history of Texas, the Liberty Caucus is committed to limiting the size and reach of government, securing the border, stopping the expansion of Obamacare, protecting family values, lowering the tax burden on families and small businesses, and promoting conservative solutions for Texas.

On Eve of Supreme Court Ruling, Taylor Vows to Rally Support for the Governor and Lead Texas Senate in Fighting Obamacare

PLANO, TX – State Senator Van Taylor today applauded Governor Greg Abbott for his leadership and decisive stance against extending Obamcare a “lifeline” in the event the Supreme Court rules that federally established exchanges are ineligible for subsides. Abbott and Taylor both anticipate that such a ruling could cause the collapse of the President’s healthcare law and offer Congress and states the opportunity to start over, allowing people to transition away from Obamacare.

“Contrived in backroom deals and riddled with broken promises, President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and their allies in Washington forced on the American people a $1.7 trillion dollar takeover of our healthcare system,” stated Taylor. “While plunging our nation further into debt, Obamacare has most harmed those whom the law was supposed to help. Healthcare premiums have skyrocketed, deductibles grown so large that insured dollars have become unreachable for many families, jobs have been killed, hours available for workers restricted, and the promise of the American dream pushed beyond the grasp of many striving to make a better life for their family.”

AUSTIN, TX - Senator Van Taylor today praised the passing of the state budget. A strong fiscal conservative Taylor has been a vocal advocate for limiting the growth of government, protecting the Constitutional spending cap, and defending the Rainy Day Fund while funding priorities including education, transportation, border security, and tax relief.

"My inspiration for serving in public office is my three daughters and ensuring all of our children and grandchildren have every opportunity find a job, raise their family, and pursue their dreams right here in Texas," stated Taylor. "As we evaluate our state budget, I believe we must make all decisions aimed at ensuring that we pass off strong, secure, and growing state to our next generation. We achieve this by applying the conservative principles that have made our state a beacon of prosperity and opportunity to our nation. The budget passed by the Legislature today honors the commitment made to the people of Texas to limit the growth of government while charting a fiscally responsible path forward for our state."

The budget passed the Senate 30-1 and passed the House by a vote of 115-33.

Senator Van Taylor expressed astonishment for the elimination of meaningful ethics reforms of elected officials in the House today. Instead of finding additional opportunities for ethics reform focused on elected officials, the House elected to pursue more regulations against the free speech of private citizens. The Senate passed version was applauded by Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and passed the Senate 31-0.

"The purpose of the Senate's ethics package, which was applauded by Governor Abbott who placed this charge on his emergency call, is to put a mirror on elected officials and affirm to the people that our efforts to represent them rise above even the appearance of impropriety or self-service," stated Taylor. "Some in the House apparently don’t think elected officials are the problem and instead muddled the bill with a litany of bizarre measures that point the finger at everyone besides themselves, including a page from Hillary Clinton's playbook to launch an assault on the First Amendment. This is one of those head shaking moments that rightfully raise doubts in the minds of our constituents as to the Legislature's resolve to serve the people above all else."

As I travel the district, everywhere I go people tell me they are concerned about the security of our border and the escalating problem of illegal immigration. As a United States Marine, I served on the U.S. / Mexico border as part of Joint Task Force 6. It was not secure then, and it is worse now. Just last year I visited the border to be briefed on our state operations and it is clear Texas must act to secure our border.

Senate Bill 850, The National Guard Personal Protection Act, Passes the State Senate

AUSTIN, TX – Senator Van Taylor today passed out of the Texas Senate a key component of his legislative agenda aimed at securing our border and stopping illegal immigration. By a vote of 23-7, the Senate passed SB 850, The National Guard Personal Protection Act, granting Texas military personnel legal safeguards to protect themselves while being called upon to serve our state.

"Every day our state is asking our Texas National Guard to leave their families and put their lives on the line to help secure our border and keep us safe," stated Taylor. "The very least we can do is give our Texas military forces the legal protection to defend themselves."

Taylor: "Spending is the cause of big-government, but taxes and debt are the symptoms"

AUSTIN, TX – Senator Van Taylor today helped pass what, if enacted, would be the largest tax cut in Texas history through the State Senate. A co-author of the tax package passed this afternoon, Taylor has been outspoken in his support for lower taxes and less government. In total, the Senate tax package would provide $4.6 billion in property and business tax relief.

"Without a vigilant eye defending the taxpayers, government will naturally consume everything in its path," stated Taylor. "Spending is the cause of big-government, but taxes and debt are the symptoms. Government cannot spend what it doesn’t take from its citizens. The taxes cuts passed today in the Senate would provide long-awaited tax relief for Texas families and small businesses."

AUSTIN, TX – Senator Van Taylor today passed Senate Bill 664, the Stolen Valor Act, by unanimous vote in the Texas Senate. This bill authorizes an employer to fire an employee, or terminate a contract, if the employer reasonably determines that the employee or contractor falsified their military record.

"When I heard news stories of individuals claiming fictitious military records, I was dismayed to learn that Texas law did not give express legal authority for employers to terminate a contract for such actions," stated Taylor. "After talking with fellow veterans in our community, I immediately got to work drafting legislation to fix this problem. The sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform are beyond measure, and by unanimously passing the Stolen Valor Act, the Texas Senate has sent a unified message of support to all those who have bravely served our nation."

"I want to applaud Governor Greg Abbott and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick for their support and leadership on ethics reform," stated Taylor. "There is no more valuable bond in democracy than the trust the people have with the their government. The commonsense ethics reforms outlined in Senate Bill 19 will strengthen that bond and send a clear message to the people of Texas that there is no place in government for those who betray the trust given to them by the voters."

In 2013, Senator Taylor, then a House member, co-authored House Bill 8, which significantly increased the penalties for human trafficking. While human trafficking is a horrendous crime with strict penalties, state law makes it difficult for law enforcement to infiltrate facilities predominantly known to harbor victims.

"It is an honor to work alongside groups like For the Sake of One, Activism For Empowerment, New Friends New Life, Traffick911, and Rescue Her to author this important legislation," stated Taylor. "These organizations fight the evils of human trafficking every day and, with their help, we have crafted legislation that will shine a light on those preying on women and children. I am incredibly grateful for the work these organizations do and look forward to working with them and my colleagues in the Texas Senate to combat the unthinkable evil of human trafficking."